Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Union territory archipelago in Bay of Bengal, India.
Description
Andaman and Nicobar comprise over eight hundred forested islands between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, most of them uninhabited. The chain stretches several hundred kilometers from north to south, separating the open ocean from shallower coastal waters.
History
British authorities founded a penal colony in Port Blair during the mid-nineteenth century, building a prison for Indian resistance fighters. After independence, the islands became a union territory that absorbed refugees and settlers from mainland India.
Culture
Settlements across the islands mix Tamil, Bengali and Ranchi influences, visible in temples, mosques and churches standing side by side. Residents often speak Hindi, Bengali or Tamil in daily life, while markets sell local dishes centered on fish and coconut.
Practical
Travelers fly into Port Blair and arrange ferries or chartered boats from there to reach other inhabited islands. Many areas require special permits that should be requested days in advance to access remote coastlines or protected zones.
Did you know?
Several indigenous communities live in forest reserves closed to outsiders, making the islands one of the few places with such strict access restrictions. Visitors can learn about these isolated groups through museums and cultural centers without entering the reserves themselves.
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Cellular Jail
3.1 km
Barren Island
141.5 km
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
14 km
Mount Manipur National Park
14.7 kmGreat Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
528.3 km
Galathea National Park
543.5 km
South Button Island National Park
68.8 km
Campbell Bay National Park
521.1 km
Rani Jhansi Marine National Park
12.9 km
Saddle Peak National Park
167.5 km
Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple
3.4 kmMiddle Button Island National Park
74.2 kmMount Thullier
518.6 km
North Button Island National Park
80.4 kmSamudrika Naval Marine Museum
1.1 km
Netaji Stadium
3.1 kmDelanipur Jama Mosque, Port Blair
4.5 km
Kalapathar Beach
46.4 km
Aquarium
3.1 km
Govind Nagar Beach
49.6 kmJackson Creek
112.2 kmStewartganj Creek
3.1 kmParangara
153.8 kmKalara
154 kmMathoma Church Complex
2.2 kmLime Stone Cave
46 kmRANGAT MAIN BUS STATION
94.3 kmYERATTA ROAD
93.5 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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